It’s too hot, too humid, and too sticky in New Jersey today as we all brace for Hurricane Earl, which lost steam chugging up the Atlantic coast. I can’t help but reflect on our postcard-perfect day at the beach in Santa Monica last weekend. Upper 60s. Abundant sunshine. Topaz sky gazing down on a topaz ocean. Our day in Santa Monica was a balanced combination of good food, exercise, and classic summertime fun. Our first stop: Jinky’s Cafe where we ate sweet pea guacamole, chicken apple sausage, and syrupy french toast. Next stop: renting bikes and pedaling a few miles along the coastline.
We rented from Blazing Saddles, which is right on the Pier and offered two-seater bikes for kids. We rode our bikes about two-plus miles down the beach before turning around. Bike traffic is heavy, probably because rentals are cheap and the view is amazing. Again, it’s all sea, sky, and mountains. I loved how the Santa Monica Pier’s ferris wheel stood out from a distance. We biked back to the ferris wheel and switched gears to enjoy the rides on the Pier, California’s answer to Coney Island. I’m telling you it was such an awesome, gorgeous, ideal day that I thought it was scripted. When we flew out of LAX the following morning and circled over the beach and into the clouds, I wondered when we’d return. It’s always hard to say goodbye to California. Surf, sun, and Korean tacos. Who would want to leave?
